


The smartest man in Gotham feels stupid; he feels like a moron.

by Stingray_vibes_117



Category: DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Agony, Angst, F/M, Hurt No Comfort, Oneshot, Pain, Rejection, Riddler x Harley Quinn, i cant not write angst, i wrote this at 3 am, rip Ed, time to get friendzoned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:00:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24372427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stingray_vibes_117/pseuds/Stingray_vibes_117
Summary: The Riddler finally confesses his love for Harley Quinn.
Relationships: Harley Quinn/Edward Nygma, the riddler/harley quinn
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9





	The smartest man in Gotham feels stupid; he feels like a moron.

**Author's Note:**

> Criticism and suggestions are always welcome!

"We can try- we've been so good together, we should be more than just friends with benefits-"

She snarls at him, smudged lipstick stains her front teeth with a red line.  
"Why?! Why are you so adamant about ruining this one nice thing we have! I am perfectly content with the way things are now!" 

Edward steadies his breathing- steadies his wild heart hammering away in his ribcage. He watches her helplessly. Harley has her arms crossed, her posture is vivid with peremptory determination. "What do you want from me, Ed?! You just want attention?" 

Ed wants to scream out of frustration. His fingers dig into the roots of his hair-nails pressing into his scalp. "YES!" He raises his voice and immediately lowers it as Harley cringes. He feels like he may crumble to his knees- this moment of weakness is going to kill him. "Yes- that is what I want! I want your attention -Desperately- I want your attention- and admiration- what part of it is not painfully obvious? I-," His voice cracks, "I love you- Harley- is what I wanted to say. I love you so much- and you should be with me; not with Joker. I..." There is a headache threatening to unravel in his temples, throbbing pain tugs at his forehead. He lets out a shaky, exhausted sigh and rubs his face. 

Harley is taken aback, at least for a moment. She twirls a stray lock of bleached hair with her thumb and index finger, eyes darting through her surroundings nervously. Edward's heart sinks as he realizes she doesn't want to look at him anymore. Blonde eyebrows are scrunched in perplexion. For a second, her wickedly coy gaze shatters. Maybe there is even a glint of gentle regret in her eyes, or maybe it's just Edward's wishful thinking. 

"You know this isn't going to happen," Ed really hopes she can't read the obvious pain in his expression. She does but graciously chooses not to comment on it. "Sorry- I... I don't love you. I don't want to be with you- this gig we had was cool but I just don't want to be with you. I don't. I love Joker, and... and I belong with him- not you... I'm sorry..." She trails off, tracing a circle into the cracked pavement with the tip of her shoe. When she finally looks him in the eyes, her lip twitches in what could best be interpreted as antipathy by our protagonist. 

The smartest man in Gotham feels stupid; he feels like a moron.

"I-..." Harley gingerly places her hand on his shoulder. Maybe to be reassuring, maybe just to shush him before he spills more confessions and makes an even bigger fool of himself. Either way, her touch makes him want to cry.  
"You'll be okay, Ed."   
It doesn't miss him how she purposefully avoids the affectionate nickname. Everything hurts and he won't be okay. Anything but. God knows how he wants her; her attention, her validation. He wants to wake up every morning and see her face and listen to her voice. He wants to give her company, comfort, protection, pleasure- 

She watches him from under her long, pasty lashes. There is sympathy in her gaze,-maybe pity- and its unwelcome presence is gently mocking him. He opens his mouth to object. 'No, Harley- I won't be okay, it feels like I'm dying, Harley- ' "You'll be fine." She repeats, colder this time. '-and now she's pulling away and oh god- please don't pull away-' She takes a single step away from him. 

It properly sinks in now- Harley doesn't want him; he loves her more than anything in the world and she doesn't want him. Ed is desperate to ask her why he's not good enough- why she won't at least give them a chance.

But he doesn't. 

Maybe he just loves her too damn much for his own good, because he does not protest. His lip trembles as he swallows the knot in his throat. When he dares to look her in the eyes again she's staring back with what seems to be suspicion. She's awfully on edge- and g o d that hurts. Harley rocks on her heels and she looks so tense- almost as if she's expecting him to try something. Why would he ever be so SELFISH as to try anything that would make her uncomfortable? 

"I should go." Harley's voice sounds too decisive; too unfazed. The tone of her voice is curt; she'd rather be anywhere but here. 

"...Right." He agrees, quietly, and is thankful that he does not stutter. He wants to argue. His mind screams at him to argue; to do SOMETHING. In a moment Harley has slipped away from him- it seems. The wanted, -no, needed- seems to be unattainable. In moments like these, where he feels some presence of finality, -the presence of risk-, the Riddler wants nothing more than to pull Harley towards him and kiss her as if his life DEPENDS on it. Sometimes it feels like it does. Harley never did let him kiss her though- not even during those outrageously late hours of the night where she'd crash at his apartment and they'd indulge in takeaway food, liquor, and sex. Those rituals seemed to become more frequent and comforting with time, it seems. Common sense acquaints him with realization; said rituals have come to an abrupt end. 

Unconcerned with hiding her haste, Harley's hands tighten their grip on the leather strap of her purse. She spins around on her heel. "Goodbye, Ed." The word doesn't even register in his mind. His hands shake as he feels some of the adrenaline filter out. 

"Wait- Harley!" He calls out- and then opens and closes his mouth uselessly, unknowing of what to say. There are no unsaid words left for him. Harley does not stop her hasty walking down the street; she just casts him one final sympathetic glance, before turning the street corner. The sound of her heels clicking against the road fades into the distance. Eddie blinks away the tears threatening to spill - he dreads that he's crying as he feels cold droplets land on his palms. He isn't. 

The pavement slowly goes wet with rain- he's not sure how long he stands there stupidly, looking nowhere in particular, thinking about her. He does nothing to shield himself from the impending downpour. 

The thought of going back to his empty apartment makes his stomach churn. Instead, he decisively walks down the sidewalk, ignoring how his shirt and vest soak with every passing moment.

God knows Edward could really use a drink right about now.


End file.
